Wages, Race, Skills and Space: Lessons from Employers in Detroit's Auto Industry: Lessons from Employers in Detroit's Auto Industry

This book describes findings of a survey-based qualitative research study conducted among Detroit employers in the auto industry to evaluate explanations for why blacks are no longer catching up with whites in terms of wages, income and employment. A key finding is the fact that black employers were more likely to hire black workers, but both black and white employers with largely black workforces pay significantly lower wages than employers with largely white workforces. This wage difference is the organizing element of subsequent study chapters that address locational considerations, differences in recruitment and hiring practices among firms and possible differences in skill requirements among black and white-owned firms, and/or differences in skill-related worker characteristics among employees.